Sound producing device for footwear



Jan. 1-8, 1938. s. CAPEZIO 2,105,642

SOUND PRODUCING DEVICE FOR FOOTWEAR Filed May a, 1935 INVENTOR Salvoiore COPZ|O hue rm ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 18, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENTQFFICE Salvatore Capezio, East Paterson, N. J.

Application May 8, 1935, Serial No. 20,311

15 Claims.

This invention relates to a sound producing device for footwear, andmore particularly to a tap for dancers, optionally combinable with ajingle.

The primary object of my invention resides in the provision of a tapimproved by the addition of an optionally usable jingle. Further objectsare to make this addition in so inexpensive a manner that the tap may besold without extra charge, the jingle being used or discarded at thewhim of the purchaser; to so carry the jingle within the tap that theexterior of the tap is not modified and instead retains its continuousbottom surface, with consequent freedom. from the possibility oftripping or catching the jingle mechanism on the floor; and, from adifferent aspect, to provide jingle mechanism the moving part of whichis completely enclosed or protectively housed.

Still another object of my invention is to improve the sound producingcharacteristics of the device both with respect to tap sounds and jinglesounds; and to this end the tap is hollowed to form a sound amplifyingchamber which is left open at one end to form a sound discharge passage,and it is this chamber which is used to loosely carry and toprotectively house the jingle.

The chamber is bounded by a flange having a relatively broad top surfacefor supporting the weight of the dancer, and in accordance with stillanother feature and object of my invention, the surface of this flangeis sloped downwardly and inwardly from the outer edge of the tap inorder to insure close contact between the tap and the shoe at theperiphery of the tap.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and other objects which willhereinafter appear, my invention consists in the tap and jingle elementsand their relation one to the other, as hereinafter are moreparticularly described in the specification and sought to be defined inthe claims; The specification is accompanied by a drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a partially sectioned side elevation of a heel tap embodyingfeatures of my invention applied to a dancing shoe;

Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the tap before application to the shoe and istaken looking in the direction of the arrows 3-3 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section taken in elevation through the tap inthe plane of the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken in elevation through the tap,looking in the plane of the line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a partially sectioned elevation of a modification designed foruse on high heels;

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section taken in the plane of the line 1-1 ofFig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a section similar to Fig. 6 but showing a modification;

Fig. 9 is a partially sectioned side elevation of a toe tap embodyingfeatures of my invention; and

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the same before being applied to the sole ofthe shoe.

Referring to the drawing and more particularly to Figs. 1 through 5, Ishow a heel tapl2 secured to the heel M of a shoe 16. The tap [2 may becast of an aluminum alloy or other satisfactory light-weight metal andis hollowed on its upper surface to form a sound amplifying chamber IBbounded by a flange or side wall 20 which terminates at the forward endof the tap or at the points 22 (Fig. 3), thereby opening the forward endof the chamber l8 to form a sound discharge passage. This end may beindented at 23 when viewed in plan. Flange 20 is pierced with a seriesof holes 24 for fastening means here exemplified by a special form ofnail 25 used to secure the tap to the heel Hi.

In accordance with my invention, the tap may be combined with a jinglehere exemplified by a washer 30 dimensioned to fit within the chamber l3and to be freely movable therein preferably both vertically andlaterally. In order to hold the washer or jingle 30 within the tap, Iprovide an upstanding pin 32 preferably cast integrally with the tap.The jingle 30 is slipped over pin 32 before nailing the tap to thebottom of the shoe. Inasmuch as pin 32 projects upwardly to the bottomsurface of the heel, the jingle is anchored in place against lossthrough the open forward end of the tap. The hole in washer 3|] is, ofcourse, very much larger than pin 32, thus providing ample room foradequate movement of the washer to produce the desired jingling sound.

It will be noted that the tap is in every way a practical andserviceable tap entirely apart from the jingling feature. In fact, thepin 32 acts as an additional support to strengthen the bottom wall ofthe tap against any stress which might be caused by the weight of thedancer. The jingling element 30 is exceedingly inexpensive and may beand preferably is sold along with the tap without increasing the cost ornecessary sales price of the tap. The purchaser then has the option ofusing the tap with or without the jingling feature, and

if a plain tap is desired, the washer is discarded and the tap nailed inplace alone. On the other hand, when the jingle is used, the tap isitself helpful because it acts as a complete protective housing for thejingle.

The flange 20 around the periphery of the tap is preferably broad butmay, if desired, be channeled, thus leaving two narrower flanges 34 and36. The top surface of flange 20 even if unchanneled is preferablysloped downwardly and inwardly, and this manifests itself, when theflange is channeled, by the fact that the inner wall 36 is lower thanthe outer wall 34. This slope at the top of flange 20 is desirable inorder to insure perfect contact between the tap and the bottom of theheel around the outer periphery of the tap, or, in other words, to guardagainst a gap or visible space showing at the outer periphery of the tapshould some irregularity on the heel bottom engage a part of the flangeat the inner wall 35. The slope is preferably made moderate or slight inorder that the supporting action of the inner as well as the outer wallmay come into play in the event of heavy loading of the tap.

The bottom surface of thetap is preferably provided with a raisedperipheral portion 38 near the rear of the tap, which tapers offsomewhat toward the forward ends 40. This construction is desirable inorder to provide a part on the tap which takes the blow of heel taps andthe consequent wear caused thereby without marring and wearing the mainpolished bottom surface of the tap until after the tap has seen longuse. A second step may be formed on the bottom of the tap at 52 whichstrengthens the tap, begins to take wear after the part 38 has beensubjected to substantial wear, and which may be used to receive the nameof the manufacturer.

'The heel tap may be modified for use on high heels, and such amodification is shown in Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawing. In this case thebody of the tap 56 is given an external configuration comparable to thatof the bottom or leather or rubber lift of a high heel 52. The heel isusually made of wood and the bottom lift is preferably removed beforeapplying the tap- 50 in order not to vary the over-all height of theheel. The tape 50 is hollowed on its upper surface to form a soundchamber 53 bounded by a flange 54 and preferably open at the forward end56. The top surface of flange 54 slopes downwardly and inwardly in orderto insure tight contact against the bottom of the heel at theouter'periphery of the tap. Flange 54 is substantial in width,particularly so at the forward ends 58 which are perforated with holes69 for fastening means, preferably long slender wood screws 52. A thirdhole is provided through the bottom of the tap for a third screw 64which acts as a locating pin for a suit able washer-like jingle 66. Theuse of the wood screw 64 as a locating pin is desirable because thescrew then serves a dual function in that it provides a securemountingof the tap on theheel.

It will be-understood that the jingle 66 is so dimensioned as to befreely movable within the tap, thus producing the desired sound. It willalso be understood that the open forward end of the chamber 53 serves asa sound passage for either tap or jingle sounds. Furthermore, the jingleelement 66 issimply an inexpensive washer made of brass or othersuitable metal, and may be delivered with the tap without extra charge,thus giving the purchaser the option of using or discarding the jingle,as desired.

In Fig. 8 I show a slight modification of the tap last described, inwhich a jingle 10 is located by a pin 12 driven into the heel 14-without passing through the body of the tab. The third screw forsecuring the tap to the heel is indicated at 16 and may be located nearthe rear edge of the tap. Reverting to Fig. 7, I may further point outthat by giving the jingle $6 a diameter greater than the space betweenthe broadened ends 58 of the tap flange 54, the jingle may be retainedagainst loss without using a locating pin.

Most of the features of my invention heretofore described are applicableto toetaps as well as to heel taps, and this is illustrated in Figs. 9and 10 j in which I show a cast toe tap 80 hollowed on its upper surfaceto form a sound amplifying chamber 82 bounded by a broad peripheralflange 84. Flange 84 terminates at the points 86 at the rear end of thetap, thus leaving the rear end of sound chamber 82 open to form apassage for better egress of sound. A locating pin 88 is cast integrallywith the tap and serves to effectively hold in place a loose or movablejingle washer 95. As before, the jingle is negligible in cost and itsuse optional with the purchaser.

The top surface of the flange 84 is sloped downwardly and inwardly, asis most clearly shown at 92 in Fig. 9, thereby guarding against theforma tion of a visible breach or space between the tap and the shoe atthe outer periphery of the tap. The flange is pierced with suitable nailholes B l through which fastening means such as the fluted nails 96 aredriven.

It is believed that the mode of constructing and using as well as themany advantages of my improved combination of tap and jingle will beapparent from the foregoing detailed description thereof. It will alsobe apparent that while I have shown and described my invention inpreferred forms, many changes and modifications may be made in thestructures disclosed Without departing from the spirit of the inventiondefined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A jingle tap comprising a metallic tap hollowed on its upper surfaceto form a chamber, a washer within said chamber so dimensioned as to bemovable therein, and a pin passing through said washer.

2. A jingle tap comprising a metallic tap hollowed on its upper surfaceto form a chamber open at one end, a 'washer within said chamber sodimensioned as to be movable both vertically :1

and sidewardly therein, and a stop pin passing through said washer.

3. A tap assembly comprising a metallic tap member of generallyconventional form, said tap being thin relative to its area and beingadapted to be secured outside of and beneath an ordinary shoe bottom,and said tap being hollowed on its upper surface to. form a soundchamber, and having a locating pin within said chamber, said pin beingadapted to retain an optionally usable jingle washer loosely in place;

4. A tap comprising a metallic tap member hollowed on its upper surfaceto form a chamber bounded by a peripheral flange adapted to be securedagainst the bottom of a shoe, said chamber being open at one end, and alocating pin for said chamber adapted to retain an optionally usablejingle washer in place. 7 v

5. A tap comprising a metallic'tap body adaptand inwardly in order toinsure close'contact beed to be secured to the bottom of 'a shoe, saidtween the shoe and the periphery of the tap, and

a pin in said chamber having a height such as to support the bottom wallof the tap when the tap is applied to a shoe.

6. A tap comprising a metallic tap body adapted to be secured to thebottom of a shoe, said body being hollowed on its upper surface to forma chamber bounded by a supporting flange, said flange being discontinuedat one end of the tap, the top surface of the flange sloping downwardlyand inwardly to insure close contact between the shoe and the peripheryof the tap, holes for fastening means passing through said flange, and alocating pin for said chamber for retaining an optionally usable jinglewasher in place.

'7. A heel tap comprising a metal tap body hollowed on its upper surfaceto form a sound amplifying chamber bounded by a supporting flange, saidflange being terminated at the forward end of the tap to open thechamber, said flange being channeled and the inner side of the channelbeing lower than the outer side of the channel in order to insure aclose flt between the outer side of the channel and a heel to which thetap is applied.

8. A heel tap comprising a metal tap body hollowed on its upper surfaceto form a chamber bounded by a supporting flange, said flange beingterminated at the forward end of the tap, said flange being-channeledand the inner side of the channel being lower than the outer side of thechannel, an optionally usable jingle washer dimensioned to be movable insaid chamber, and an upright locating pin in said chamber for the jinglewasher.

9. A heel tap comprising a metal tap body hollowed on its upper surfaceto form a chamber bounded by a supporting flange, said flange beingterminated at the forward end of the tap, said flange being channeledand the inner side of the channel being lower than the outer side of thechannel, an optionally usable jingle washer dimensioned to be movable insaid chamber, and an upright locating pin cast integrally with the tapin said chamber for the jingle washer, the bottom of said tap being soshaped as to present a protruding bottom surface at its rear periphery.

10. A heel tap for use on high heels, said tap comprising a metallic tapbody hollowed on its upper surface to form a chamber, a plurality ofholes for fastening means passing through said tap, one of said holesbeing located at approximately the center of the chamber and receivingan attaching screw adapted to act as a retaining pin for a jinglewasher, and an optionally usable jingle washer so dimensioned as to bemovable in the chamber.

11. A heel tap for use on high heels, said tap comprising a metallic tapbody hollowed on its upper surface to form a chamber open at its forwardend and bounded by a supporting flange the top surface of which slopesinwardly and downwardly, a plurality of holes for fastening meanspassing through said tap, one of said holes being located atapproximately the middle of the chamber and receiving an attaching screwadapted to act as a retaining pin for a jingle washer.

12. A heel tap for use on high heels, said tap comprising a metallic tapbody the exterior of which is shaped like the bottom lift of a highheel, said tap being hollowed on its upper surface to form a chamberopen at its forward edge and bounded by a supporting flange the topsurface of which slopes inwardly and downwardly, a plurality of holesfor fastening means passing through said tap, one of said holes beinglocated at approximately the middle of the chamber and receiving anattaching screw adapted to act as a retaining pin for a jingle washer,and an optionally usable jingle washer so dimensioned as to be movablewhen placed in the sound chamber.

13. A toe tap comprising a tap body hollowed on its upper surface toform a chamber, a locating pin in said chamber for retaining a jingleWasher in place, and a jingle washer optionally usable in said tap anddimensioned to be movable therein.

14. A toe tap comprising a tap body hollowed on its upper surface toform a chamber open at the rear of the tap and bounded on the remainingsides by a relatively broad supporting flange, the top: surface of saidflange sloping downwardly and inwardly in order to insure close contactbetween the periphery of the flange and the shoe bottom, a jingle washeroptionally usable in said tap and dimensioned to be movable therein, anda locating pin cast integrally With said tap and projecting upwardly insaid chamber for retaining the jingle washer in place.

15. A jingle tap comprising a metallic tap body adapted to be securedoutside of and beneath the bottom of a shoe, said tap body being thinrelative toits area and being of generally conventional form in having aperiphery shaped to follow the contour of that part of the shoe bottom(toe or heel) to which it is to be attached, said tap body beinghollowed on its upper surface to form a chamber open at the top andbounded by a supporting flange, said flange being cut away at one end toform a sound discharge opening, a simple one-piece disc-shaped metallicjingle loosely carried within said chamber, said jingle being smaller indimension than the chamber and freely movable therein, the ends of theflange at the open end of the tap being turned SALVATORE CAPEZIO.

